Air Tahiti Nui Plans November 1998 Launch; New National Airline To Provide Three Flights Weekly From Los Angeles

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Tahiti Nui, the first
Tahiti-based international airline, announced today that it will begin service
on November 20, 1998, providing three weekly flights from Los Angeles,
California, to Papeete, Tahiti.
"We are delighted that Tahiti will now have its own dedicated airline, and
believe that Air Tahiti Nui will play a significant role in strengthening
Tahiti's leading industry, tourism," said Nelson Levy, chairman of the board
spearheading the launch of the airline. "A recent study determined that
Tahiti and her islands are the number one international destination in terms
of growth potential, so the time could not be better for a new international
carrier to meet increased passenger demand."
Air Tahiti Nui will provide 80 percent additional capacity for passengers
flying from Los Angeles to Tahiti, Levy noted, with convenient schedules and
excellent interline connections. Departures from Los Angeles will be on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m., arriving in Papeete at 7:35 p.m.
Return flights from Tahiti have been scheduled for Thursday, Friday and
Saturday at 11:45 p.m., arriving in Los Angeles at 10:00 a.m.
Service will be provided by a customized, four-engine, 286-passenger
Airbus A340-200 aircraft featuring state-of-the-art equipment. Business class
and coach seating will be offered on all flights, with a 2-2-2 seating
configuration in business and a 2-2-2-2 configuration in coach. Fares will be
competitive with other airlines serving Tahiti.
"We are launching Air Tahiti Nui to create and accommodate increased
traffic in the United States, not to take market share from current Tahiti
partners," Levy noted. "The additional lift we are providing, coupled with
our convenient schedules, connections and modern aircraft, should encourage
more people to visit Tahiti."
Levy added, "On Air Tahiti Nui, passengers will enjoy a true Tahitian
experience from the moment they board the plane until they arrive. Blending
Polynesian hospitality with a French touch, the airline is designed to ensure
a trip that's both comfortable and memorable. We want visitors to come back
again and again."
The airline, Levy noted, will work closely with tour operators, cruise
companies, travel agents and incentive planners to meet the individual needs
of their clients. "Our travel partners are extremely important to us, and it
is our goal to provide maximum service and benefit to them.
"With our Los Angeles gateway and our schedule designed for convenient
connections, travelers from any major city in the United States can leave
their home in the morning and arrive that same day in Tahiti to enjoy its
boundless pleasures," said Levy.